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TORY grandee Nicholas Soames was accused last night of making crude and sexist remarks to female MPs.

Half a dozen women MPs rounded on the colourful Conservative, who is the grandson of Winston Churchill and a close friend of Prince Charles.

A new book on sexism in Parliament claims he made derogatory comments about women's legs and even called some Labour backbencher Barbara Follett - wife of the millionaire author Ken - said some women retaliated by referring to a claim by a former girlfriend that making love to Mr Soames was 'like having a wardrobe fall on you with the key still in'.

However, the Tory veteran hit back last night and angrily denied that he had ever made a sexist remark to a female MP.

'This is absolutely nonsense. It's completely and utterly untrue and I do not recognise these claims in any particular,' the 57-year- old father of three protested.

'I have never even heard of Barbara Follett. It's complete fiction from beginning to end.' However, the book - Women in Parliament: The New Suffragettes - quotes a number of female MPs who insist he did make abusive comments.

Former Liberal Democrat MP Jackie Ballard said Mr Soames would deliver his insults in a low voice so he was not heard by the Speaker or clerks.

She said his comments were MPs lesbians.

'sexist remarks, maybe about someone's legs or someone being a lesbian - the sort of thing that if he worked for me he'd probably be sacked'. …